The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for use in a continuous flow commercial laundry, and more particularly, to a continuous flow laundry incorporating a heat recovery system.
Continuous flow commercial laundry systems provide numerous advantages over other types of commercial laundry systems. The continuous flow system incorporates a cylinder or drum mounted for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis and containing separate compartments. The compartments are formed by baffles that may be constructed in the manner of an Archimedes screw. Dry laundry enters through one end of the horizontal drum and travels the length of the drum by virtue of the rotation of the drum with the laundry following the path defined by the baffles. Individual batches of laundry are maintained separate in the drum by the baffles. Hot water and appropriate chemicals are introduced into the system and are caused to flow in a direction contrary to the flow of the laundry.
Such continuous flow laundry systems are usually large in comparison to individual batch processing type installations. However, thermal efficiency of such larger installations therefore becomes even more important in view of the substantial amounts of heat loss to which the system is susceptible. Power requirements for heating water is therefore an important and significant portion of the operating cost of the continuous flow system particularly in view of energy costs and the likely increase in such costs in years to come.